After many years working with both fellow Norwegian jazzer
Jan Gabarek and such stateside talent as
Sheila Jordan,
Don Cherry,
Sam Rivers, and
George Russell, bassist
Arild Andersen marked the mid-'70s with the first of several ECM sessions to be cut over the following two decades. Featuring regular collaborators like drummer
Paal Thowsen, saxophonist
Juhani Aaltonen, and pianist
Lars Jansson,
Andersen's solo outings not only reflected the airy sound ECM and
Gabarek espoused, but the loose and tasteful experimentation of
Miles Davis' '60s work as well. For Sagn,
Andersen incorporates Norwegian folk songs into the mix with the help of singer Kristen Braten Berg, percussionist
Nana Vasconcelos, and a combo of guitar, keyboards, and saxophone. Alternating between sung parts and instrumental segments, the commissioned piece is divided into three sections and finds the group ranging through buoyant swingers and meditative stretches. While a few of the instrumentals get weighed down in guitarist Frode Alneas' rock-tinged contributions, the album mostly comes off quite nicely. ~ Stephen Cook